Combination vehicle and walker



March 13, 1928. 1,662,292

R. C. BENDER COMBINATION VEHICLE AND WALKER Filed Jan. 21. 1926 3Sheets-Sheet 1 pvwr/ag 7 I 6. 5 ,7 R RT fi Bizwfiz arch 13, 1928.1,662,292

R. c. BENDER COMBINATION VEHICLE AND WALKER Fild Jan. 21.. 19.26 sSheets-Sheet 2 March 13 1928. 7 1,662,292

R. C. BENDER COMBINATION VEHICLE ANb WALKER Filed Jan. 21. 1926 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Mar. 13.1923.

PATENT OFFICE.

7 ROBERT C. BENDEB, 0! ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

COMBINATION VEHICLE AND WALKER.

Application Med January 21, 1988. Serial No. 82,712.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in childrens vehcles and walkers, the object of the invention being to provide a vehicleadapted to be converted into a walker, a go-cart, or a coaster.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a go-cart having'adetachable canvas bottom provided with suitable leg openings wherebysaid vehicle can be used as a walker.

Still other objects of the inventlon are to rovide a wheeled vehicleframe adapted to interchangeably receive a go-cart body and a. rigidplatform, whereby said vehicle may be used either as a go-cart orcoaster.

Other objects of the invention are to provide detachable steeringmechanism to be used when the vehicle is converted into a coaster and toprovide a detachable handle designed for use when the vehicle isconverted into a go-cart.

Additional objects of the invention are to provide an awning detachablysecured to the body of the o-cart.

With these an other objects in view, my invention consists in certainnovel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinaftermore fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanydrawings, in whichin i Figure 1 is a side elevational view ofthe vehic e converted into a go-cart.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same with certain parts thereofremovedto more fully illustrate the invention.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross section taken vertically through thevehicle with parts thereof broken away.

Fi re 4 is a similar view but showing the rear wall of the go-cart movedinto an extended position.

Figure 5 is a horizontal cross section 2 taken on line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a transverse vertical cross section taken on line 6-6 ofFigure 5. v

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view taken on line 7'-7 of Figure 1.

Fi re 8 is a top plan view of the vehicle showlng the latter convertedinto a coaster.

Figure 9 is a side elevational view of same.

Figure 10 is a detail view showing in front elevation one of the frontframe members of the go-cart body.

Figure 11 is a detail view of the go-cart frame showing the bottom rodsupported thereon. v

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a mainsupportmg frame of the vehicle, said frame comprising side members 11and end members 12, preferably formed of angle iron. This frame isprovided with rear wheels 13 carried by a rear axle 15 which is mountedin bearing brackets 16. The front wheels 17 are journaled in separatesupports or brackets 18 which have upwardly extending pins or pintles 19rotatably mounted in bearings 20, the latter being formed in brackets21. Thus the front wheels are free to move about the axes of pintles 19and the vehicle can be easily steered.

A locking member 22 is provided for each front wheel whereby the lattercan be locked in the desired position relative to the axle. This lockingmember consists of a loop or circular portion 22 which encircles eachpintle 19 and has an outwardly presented extension 22 the end of whichis bent downwardly as at 22 and enters an aperture 23 formed in thelower bearin' 20. This portion 22 pro'ects past said caring and engagesone o a series of apertures 24 which latter are arranged concentricallyin the adjoining face of support 18. By bringing pin 22 in the properaperture 24, the front wheel can be locked at any required anglerelative to the longitudinal axis of the vehicle. 7 When it is desiredto have the front wheels free, as when steering mechanism 25 is used,member 22 is lifted out of engage ment with aperture 23 and is partiallyturned to move pin 22 away from said aper- 31. The front and sides ofthe o-cart body are formed by a series of vertica ly disposed rods 32 sseed a suitable distance from each other an havin their ends seated inframe members 28 an 29. The rear wall 33 is hingedly connected at 33 tothe lower frame member 29 and is rovided at the upper end with ahorizonta y disposed rod 34 for engaging an upwardly and rearwardly1nclined canvas extension 35 of a canvas member 36 which forms thebottom of the gocart body. The side edges of this canvas member arelooped to provide longitudinally disposed pockets 37 or receivingsupporting rods 38 which latter are removably seated in end posts 30 and31 and hold said bottom iece in position. The front edge of the ottommember 36 can be tied or otherwise secured to the horizontally disosedfront end member 29 of frame 29, as indicated at 39 in order to preventdisplacement of said bottom member. The go-cart body 26 is secured toframe 10 by suitable fastening devices 40 which enga e the side members29 of frame 29 and si e members 11 of main frame 10.

A handle 41 is removably attached to gocart body 26 and extendsrearwardly therefrom as shown in Figures 1 and 2. An awning 42 isremovably sup orted on the gocart body 26 by rods 43 w ich are attachedto frame 28 near the rear ends thereof. The front end of the awning issupported by members 44, the lower ends of WhlCh are bent laterally asat 44 and are seated in recesses formed by forcing outwardly portions 30of posts 30. A tray 45 has extensions 45 which fit over the front end offrame member 28 and removably support the tray in position.

The bottom su porting rods 38 are seated in apertures 46 ormed in uprihts 30 and 31 and are locked against wit drawal by lateral projections38 formed on the forward ends of said rods. Each aperture 46 is providedwith a vertically disposed notch 46 and when it is desired to removerods 38 from position, said rods are given a quarter turn to bringprojections 38 in alignment with notches 46 whereby said rods can bewithdrawn.

There are two or more sets of apertures 46, as shown in Figure 4, eachset being spaced from the other in vertical plane and by placing rods inthe pro er set of apertures 46, bottom 36 can be raised or lowered asdesired. The forward end of bottom 36 is provided with openings 36 whichare adapted to receive the legs of a child when it is desired to use thevehicle as a walker.

A flap 36 is secured to member 36 at 47 and is ada ted to be placed overthe forward portion 0 member 36 and cover said open- .m 36 when it isnot desired to use the ve iele as a walker, there being suitablefasteners 48 provided to button the flap against the bottom member 36 oragainst extension 35. This extension is secured to the bottom member at49 and passes over the rod 34 and can be drawn tightly in position bymeans of lacing 50, thereby servmg to hold hinged rear wall 33 in closedposition, as shown in Figure 3. In this position, extension 35 acts as aback rest.

When it is desired to use the go-eart as a bed, lacing 50 is released,thereby permitting wall 33 to be lowered into the position shown inFigure 4, in which position said wall rests against a projection 51which projection is fixed to the lower frame member 29. When in thisosition, extension 35 can be drawn taut by tightening lacin 50.

When it is desired to use the vehic e as a coaster or wagon, go-cartbody 26 is removed by removing fastening devices 40 and a rigid platform52 is placed in frame 10 as shown in Figures 8 and 9. If desired, theforward portion of the platform can be lowered as indicated at 53 toform a foot-rest and said portion 53 is supported on frame 10 by bars 54which extend upwardly and have their ends hooked over the upper edges ofside members 11 as indicated at 55.

The steering mechanism is designed to be preferably used with thevehicle when converted into a. wagon or coaster, but may also be used incombination with a go-cart body. This steering mechanism comprises asteering wheel 56 carried by a steering column 57, which latter issupported in bearing 58 attached to the front end member 12. The lowerend of steering column 57 has fixed thereto a forwardly projecting arm59 which is slotted to receive a in 60 of a transverse rod 61. The endsof this rod are pivotally connected at 62 to arms 63 which extend fromeach bracket 18. By turning steering wheel 56 in the proper direction,bar 61 is moved correspondingly through its slot and pin connection withthe steering column and actuates brackets 18 to position wheels 17 atthe pro er angle. However, to use the steering mechanism, it is firstnecessary to raise locking members 22 and move them in displacedosition.

The steering meclihnism 25 may be readily removed from the vehicle whendesired. The front wheels 17 may be left unlocked to turn freely onpivots 19, or they may be locked by means of members 22 in any desiredposition.

The rods 38 supporting bottom 36 can be inserted in the higher series ofapertures 46, whereby bottom 36 can be raised in the go-cart body. Bymaking the different attachments as separate units, the can be boughtseparately and added to t e vehicle as needed.

While I have shown and described the preferred forms of my improvedvehicle,

of said go-cart bod teem construction of the vehicle can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described, without departing fromthe spirit of my invention.

I claim: I 1. A childs vehicle comprising in combination a wheeledframe, a go-cart body detachably arranged thereon, said go-cart bodybeing provided with a rear end portion pivotally mounted at its lowerend and tiltable outwardly, a pair of longitudinally disposed rodsremovably arranged in the gocart body one adjacent to each side thereof,a canvas bottom arranged in said go-cart body and provided along itsside edges with loops for su porting engagement with said rods and a apsecured at one end tosaid canvas bottom intermediate the ends thereofand normally foldable thereagainst, the outer end of said flap beingadapted to be detachably secured to said rear end. ortion whereby saidtrip can be adjusted angular yrelatively to said canvas body.

2. In a childs vehicle, the combination with a wheeled supporting frame,of a go cart frame removably attachable to said 'supporting frame, meansfor securing said gocart frame to said supporting frame, longitudinalside rods detachably arranged in the end uprights of said go-cart frame,a canvas bottom for said go-cart frame and provided with looped portionsfor removably receiving said side rods, and an extensible flap attachedto said canvas bottom and engaging the upper edge of the rear wall ofsaid gocart body, said rear wall being tiltable to adjust said flapangularly relatively to said canvas bottom, said rear wall being held intilted position by said flap.

3. In a childs vehicle, the combination with awheeled supporting frame,of a gocart body provided with a tiltable back wall, said go-cart bodybeing adapted to be remova ly secured to said supporting frame, a canvasbottom removably supported by said go-cart body, an extensible flapsecured to said canvas bottom and extending upwardly and rearwardly andlooped over the upper edge of said tiltable back wall, and a lacing fordrawing said extensible flap taut.

4. A childs vehicle, comprising in combination a wheeled frame, ago-cart body detachably arranged thereon, a longitudinally disposed rodremovably arranged in each side of said go-cart body, a canvas bottomprovided in its sides with longitudinally disposed pockets for removablyreceiving said rods, means for tyin the ends of said canvas bottom tothe en s of said go-cart body, said bottom being provided with leg'openings whereby said vehicle can be'used as a walker, and a bottomextension secured tosaid bottom and movable in position to cover saidleg openings.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 16th day ofJanuary, 1926.

' ROBERT C. BENDER.

